1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of bottle caps and closures, and more particularly to a reusable sealing cap for bottles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Bottle capping devices are known in the art. There are several patents which disclose various wire form stoppers and liquid dispensing devices for installation on the mouth of a bottle or jar.
Chaille et al, U.S. Pat. No. 1,967,743 discloses a liquid dispensing device which has a single-piece clamping member comprising a swingable hook wire member bent in a semi-circular shape and the ends are pivotally mounted in the dispenser housing. The lower portion of the hook is a U-shape which engages the underside of the neck bead of the bottle. A flat seal is carried in the housing and seals on the top of the mouth of the bottle. There is very little spring action designed into the wire-form because the slightly protruding bead on which the wire bears allows minimal spring action sealing.
Rigby, U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,920 discloses a liquid dispensing device which has a single-piece clamping member comprising a wire bail with each arm bent in a gonerally S-shape and the ends are pivotally mounted in the dispenser housing. The lower portion of the bail is a flat semi-circular shape which engages the underside of the lip of the bottle. A beveled seal is carried in the housing and conforms to the interior mouth of the bottle. Also in this design the bead provides minimal wire bearing surface.
Brauner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,821 discloses another liquid dispensing device which has a two-piece, over-center clamping assembly comprising a U-shaped wire member with each arm bent and pivotally mounted in the dispenser housing, and a second wire member having a U-shaped portion which engages under the lip of the bottle. The ends of the second wire member are pivotally mounted on the bent arms of the first wire member. A seal member is provided in the housing which seals on the top of the bottle opening. Depressing the first member will draw the U-shaped portion of the second member inwardly and upwardly to engage the lip of the bottle. The first member carries the pivotal axis of the second member slightly past center so that the seal is maintained.
The patents of Chaille et al, Rigby, and Brauner are liquid dispensing devices which can be removed from the bottle. They are particularly constructed for use on old style cola bottles of the type which had a rounded decanting lip onto which a metal cap was pressed and on each of these the cap sealing mechanism applies tension to this rounded lip in the sealing of the bottle. The present invention, by way of contrast, seals by applying a spring tension against a flat radial collar found on state of the art bottles. These patents teach a pivot point above the mouth of the bottle, and the major portion of the housings are perched on the top of the bottle in such a way that two hands would be required to cap the bottles due to the limited stability of a high pivot point relative to the sealing surface. The present invention provides the pivot point below the mouth of the bottle and has the added convenience of being able to seal the bottle using just one hand.
Rigby (U.S. Pat. No. 2,325,920) and Chaille et al (U.S. Pat. No. 1,967,743) teach single bent-wire levers, however, there is very little spring tension designed into the wire-form because the slightly protruding rounded lip of the bottle does not provide a suitable bearing surface under which the lever may be biased. A strong spring tension wire lever would merely roll over the lip.
Tozer, U.S. Pat. No. 211,440 discloses a fruit jar stopper which has a clamping assembly comprising a U-shaped wire member with each arm bent in a loop and pivotally mounted in a recess in the bottom of the stopper, and a second wire member having a U-shaped portion which engages the top of a beveled stopper having a flat annular seal. The ends of the second wire member are pivotally mounted on the loop in the bent arms of the first wire member. Depressing the first member will draw the stopper and seal downwardly to seal the mouth and top of the bottle. The first member carries the pivotal axis of the second member slightly past center so that the seal is maintained.
De Quillfeldt, U.S. Pat. No. 610,721 discloses a bottle stopper which has an over-center clamping assembly comprising a U-shaped wire member with each arm bent in a loop and pivotally mounted on a wire neck band attached to the bottle neck beneath the bead, and a second wire member having a U-shaped portion which carries a beveled stopper. The ends of the second wire member are pivotally mounted on the loop in the bent arms of the first wire member. Depressing the first member will draw the stopper downwardly to seal the mouth of the bottle. The first member carries the pivotal axis of the second member slightly past center so that the seal is effectively maintained. This device is permanently attached to the bottle.
Crass, U.S. Pat. No. 1,481,505 discloses a bottle stopper which has an over-center clamping assembly comprising a U-shaped wire member with each arm bent in a loop and pivotally mounted in a recess in the bottle neck or bead, and a second wire member having a U-shaped portion which engages the top of a beveled stopper having a flat annular seal. The ends of the second wire member are pivotally mounted on the loop in the bent arms of the first wire member. Depressing the first member will draw the stopper and seal downwardly to seal the mouth and top of the bottle. The first member carries the pivotal axis of the second member slightly past center so that the seal is effectively maintained. This device is also permanently attached to the bottle.
The patents of Tozer, De Quillfeldt, and Crass teach non-reusable bottle stopper devices having the pivot points of the wire-form member used in attaching the cap more or less permanently secured to the bottles which does not allow for aftermarket application as does the present invention. These patents also have the disadvantage that the cap will tend to fall down over the mouth of the bottle as the contents are being poured and deflect the liquid flow from its intended receptacle.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art, and these patents in particular by a reusable sealing cap for bottles of the type having a flat radially extending circular flange on the neck of the bottle spaced below the top edge of the mouth of the bottle. The reusable cap is removably received on the open mouth of the bottle and partially surrounds the upper neck portion of the bottle. The cap member carries a resilient seal which fits over the open mouth of the bottle to sealably enclose the open mouth of the bottle. A movable spring wire lever member is pivotally mounted on the cap and bent in a configuration to form a flange engaging portion to be slidably received and biased beneath the circular flange in the sealing position and a pair of laterally opposed arcuate portions which create spring tension to create a compressive force between the cap and the circular flange sufficient to compress the resilient seal and effect a liquid tight seal on the open mouth of the bottle when the flange engaging portion is biased beneath the circular flange. The lever configuration includes a pair of smaller arcuate portions cooperative with the lateral arcuate portions to provide additional compressive force in the sealing position. The lateral arcuate portions also serve as a finger receiving handle for carrying the bottle.